Just to get started, we’re going to kick off this blog with an introduction to Search Engine Optimisation (modified from the book “Content is King – Writing and Editing Online”, authored by MediaCo’s David Mill).

There is much talk about search engine algorithms (the closely-guarded “recipes” that search engines use to decide how to rank the results of a given search).

However, the CRITICAL element is not PR(A) = (1-d) + d (PR(T1)/C(T1) + … + PR(Tn)/C(Tn)) …

… it’s the written word – yahoo, say all of us!

Yes, folks, it’s our writing that makes the difference from a search engine optimisation perspective. And, although a specialist search engine optimiser will add to and modify our works, we can minimise these adjustments while, at the same time, actually making our copy better for readers.

This series of posts will take you through the key rules that apply to the main search engines and search engine optimisation.

Search Engine Optimisation – body text

Search engines just love the words we weave within the body text of web pages and nothing has a stronger influence on positioning.

From a search engine optimisation perspective, an ideal target is some 300-500 words per page and keyword phrases (those word combinations most likely to be used by people searching for the kind of information you are publishing) used consistently throughout your body text will boost rankings.

And it’s the initial material (the lead statement - the first two-to-three paragraphs and especially the first 150-250 characters) which is most important.

Of course, if those relevant phrases are important for search engine optimisation, they must be important for readers, too. So where else should they be than near the beginning?

In addition, as with good content practice in general, when possible the targeted key phrases should appear at the start or near the start of paragraphs.

< SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION TIP >

Target phrases, not single words

Please note, your search engine optimisation emphasis should be placed on phrases, not single words.

For example, if you searched on Google for ‘marketing’, you would be presented with millions of results covering a wide range of marketing-related information sources. But if you were really looking for ‘internet marketing’, you would be presented with less sites and ones more likely to be relevant to you.

And you might refine further with ‘uk internet marketing’.

That’s what all searchers do and what we should bear in mind when conducting search engine optimisation.

< / SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION TIP >

And, on many fronts, good practice for search engine optimisation is good practice for readers, too. For example, how often have you seen links like:

• Click here for information about MediaCo’s services.

Hello, what kind of services?

Better would be something like:

• Search Engine Optimisation services provided by MediaCo – useful information.

And, yes, when it comes to links, many search engines consider the text in and around hyperlinks to be more important which is why I’ve presented the key words in the above sentence as the hyperlink.

In the next Search Engine Optimisation post, we’ll cover Sub-Headings and Emphasis …